Gerald Koch

HAMBURG, GERMANY — Gerald Koch gestures at a monitor displaying a slice, thinner than a hair, of suspected illegal timber. “I only need to look at these two to know immediately it comes from South America”. …The Thünen Institute of Hamburg in northern Germany… is the foremost center for timber authentication in the world. “A lot of the timber being illegally logged is difficult to trace and often customs declarations are wrong,” says Koch. “It’s our job to uncover the truth.” …The illegal timber industry, worth $152 billion a year. …Funded by the German government, the Hamburg institute acts as a scientific authority for government agencies, timber traders, and consumers on the origin of wood products. …There are limits to what the timber detectives can do. While they can determine the genus of a sample, ascertaining exact species or geographical origin can be more difficult. [to access the full story a National Geographic subscription may be required]